Door controlled automatic flushing system



March 5, 1968 J. J. FILLIUNG 3,371,353

DOOR CONTROLLED AUTOMATIC FLUSHING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 13, 1965 INVENTOR. Jaaouas J F/Luun/a PARKER 8 CARTER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice 3,371,353 DOOR CONTROLLED AUTOMATIC FLUSHENG SYSTEM Jacques J. Filliung, Chicago, Ill., assiguor t Sioan Valve Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 495,444 Claims. (Cl. 4-99) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flushing arrangement for urinals in which the flush valve is automatically operated by a door switch only when a person exits from the toilet room after having used the urinal. Toilet room doors are opened up much wider when a person goes out of the room than when he enters it.

Background of the invention This invention relates in general to plumbing systems, but more particularly to a means for automatically controlling the operation of flush valves for plumbing fixtures, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved automatic operating arrangement for the aforesaid purpose.

Another object is to provide an arrangement for automatically operating the urinal flush valves in a toilet room, in which an act of the user initiates the operation of the flushing equipment without his knowledge.

A further object is to design a new and improved arrangement for automatically operating a urinal flush valve in which the flush valve is only operated after a person has used the urinal.

A further object is to design an automatic urinal flushing arrangement for urinals controlled by the opening of the toilet room door in which the urinals are only flushed when a person opens the door to leave the toilet room after having used the urinal, whereas when the person enters the toilet room no flushing takes place.

It is customary in many plumbing installations to provide flush valves for urinal fixtures with handles actuated by a person using the urinal. Many persons, for hygenic reasons are reluctant to operate the handles, or neglect to do so, and as a result the urinal becomes fouled and obnoxious, thereby constituting a health hazard. It is therefore desirable that the urinals be automatically flushed and many attempts have been made in the past to provide for such automatic flushing. These arrangements usually involved the use of electric timing equipment, complicated electrical circuit arrangements, and the flushing of the urinals at the time when they are not used, resulting in a needless waste of water.

In accordance with the present invention a simple electric switch is provided which is directly controlled by the act of opening the toilet room door. The urinals are only flushed after they have been used and only when a person leaves the toilet room. In order to utilize such a simple automatic flushing arrangement advantage is taken of the proven fact that when a person goes out of a toilet room after having used the urinal, he naturally pulls or swings open the entrance door a much greater distance, than when he pushes the door inward to enter the toilet room. Numerous prolonged tests and observations have confirmed the fact that the toilet room door is swung open much further, and by an average of as 3,371,353 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 much as 12 to 15 inches, when a person goes out of the toilet room, than when he opens the door to enter the same. The tests indicate that a person upon entering the toilet room swings the entrance door open to an average of 45 degrees, while when he exits the toilet room he pulls open the door somewhat further to an average of about degrees. This is a difference of 25 degrees, with the opening width between the respective openings being about 12 to 15 inches.

It will therefore be seen that by placing an electrical switch in approximately the position to which the entrance door is pulled open, when a person goes out of the toilet room, the urinal flushing equipment will only be operated when a person goes out and only after he has used the urinal. No flushing action Will take place when a person enters the toilet room because the switch will not be operated at that time.

In toilet rooms predominately used by the public or where the trafiic is rather frequent, urinals are usually installed and preferably flushed automatically by some means. The toilet room doors are also commonly equipped with door checks to permit the doors to close slowly and not to slam shut or stay open. Spring hinges are sometimes also used for this purpose. These door checks present some slight resistance to the action of a person pushing or pulling such a door. Another common characteristic in public toilet rooms is that the entrance doors are provided with a metal push plate on the entrance side of the door instead of a knob or handle, while on the inside or toilet room side a conventional door knob or handle grip is provided. Such doors do not ordinarily have door catches and merely swing open when pushed or pulled open. However for the purposes of the present invention the action is the same should the toilet room door be equipped with a knob on either side of the door and a door catch to hold it closed.

The foregoing arrangements all contribute to the effectiveness and advantages made possible by the present invention as will be more apparent hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment in which:

FIGURE 1 diagrammatically shows an installation of the invention in a toilet room;

FIGURE 2 shows the general principle of operation;

FIGURE 3 is a section of a door and frame showing a form of switch operating mechanism;

FIGURE 4 shows diagrammatically a person entering the toilet room and the extent to which the door is opened;

FIGURE 5 shows a similar view of a person going out of the toilet room and the extent to which the door is opened.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1, a typical toilet room is indicated at 5 having the usual entrance door 6 held normally closed by the pneumatic door check 7, and provided with a door knob 8 on the inside of the door and a push plate 9 on the outside. A urinal fixture 10 is supported on the wall of the toilet room and is flushed by a hydraulically operated flush valve 11, such as the well known Sloan Crown flush val e, for example.

The flush valve 11 is supported above the urinal 10, and arranged to flush the same in the usual manner. An inlet water supply pipe 12 is connected to the control stop 13 leading into the flush valve inlet, and in place of the usual handle for operating the flush valve 11, an electrically operated device 14 such as a solenoid or motor operator,

3 is provided. Mounted on the inside of the door preferably near the top there is a stiff metal bracket as best seen in FIGURE 2, which has an outwardly extending arm bent at an angle as shown.

A suitable enclosed electric switch 16 is mounted in the wall of the toilet room adjacent the bracket 15 and in operable relationship therewith. The switch 16 is preferably supported within a conduit box 17. A source of electric power leads through conduit and from the switch 16 through conduit 21 to the electrical device 14. Closure of the switch 16 results in energization of the electrical device 14 and this in turn actuates the flush valve 11 to flush the urinal fixture 10.

Referring to FIGURE 2, this depicts the extent to which the toilet room door 6 is opened on its hinges 18 when a person enters the toilet room, and the extent to which it is opened when he goes out. Upon entering, a person uses his arm or body to push or slide inward along the push plate 9 as shown in FTGURE 4, only to the extent necessary for him to swing the door 6 open for passage of his body. He does not forceably and violently swing open the door and he also must push against the resistance provided by the door check 7. Therefore the door is only opened to the position indicated at or about degrees from its closed position and about half way open from the 90 degree position indicated at 40. This is sufficient for the persons body to move through the door way before the door begins to slowly close under control of the door check 7 and without striking the person. In the position indicated at 25 at which the door 6 is opened, the bracket 15 will not be effective to engage the switch 16 and as a result the fiush valve 11 will not be operated. This sequence of action is desirable because it is more practical to flush the urinal after a person has used it rather than before or during its use.

When a person is about to leave or exit from the toilet room he grasps the door knob 8 and forceably pulls on the knob to swing the door wide open and then lets go of the knob as shown in FIGURE 5. This action is sufficient to swing open the door to the position indicated at 26 in FIGURE 2 or about 70 degrees, which is 25 degrees more than the door was opened when the person entered, The difference in distance is between 12 to 15 inches. The door is swung open far enough for a person to pass through the door entrance and provide a time lag under control of the door check 7, so that the person will be able to walk through before the door slowly closes behind him without the possibility of striking him as shown in FIGURE 5.

In the position indicated at 26 of the door, the bracket 15 will engage and operate the switch 16 and cause the flushing of the urinal only after the person has used it.

The bracket 15 is made sufficiently strong to serve as a door stop to limit the opening movement of the door and is preferably arranged with an adjusting screw 19 to determine the approximate position at which the switch 16 will be operated in the position assumed by the door when a person opens it to go out. This average position is determined by observation of a number of door openings and is readily made upon installation of the equipment. A shoulder 27 on the plunger of switch 16 stops the further movement of bracket 15 and of course the door.

It will be understood that in isolated cases children or persons in a hurry may forcibly swing open the door actuating the switch 16 and causing a flushing action. This action is not necessarily undesirable because of the occasional extra flush prevents the urinal from becoming dried up, and inhibits bacterial action, causing odors. Also the occasional flush resulting when a person enters the toilet room to either washup or use the water closets or for other purposes, is not detrimental or an excessive waste of water.

The fact that the urinal is only flushed when a person leaves the toilet room after using the urinal and the fact that the flushing action only occurs whenever the urinal is used results in a considerable saving of water over those flushing systems relying upon periodic flushing, whether the urinals are used or not. In this latter category are the elevated tanks which gradually fill up and then dump their contents into the urinals, as well as the electrically controlled timing systems.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 this shows a door operated switch mechanism including a combination door stop and bracket 30 pivoted on hinge pin 31 and which has a top plate 32 adjustable with respect to bracket 30 so that the bumper ends 33 and 34 can be adjusted with respect to the door 6 and the switch lever 22 for the correct amount. The electric switch 23 is mounted on a bracket 35 supported in the conduit box 24 and the lever 22 is pivoted at 36 in bracket 35 with one end in operative relationship to the switch plunger 37. A cover plate 38 serves to enclose the switch mechanism and protect it. The switch box 24 is conveniently recessed in the wall of the toilet room adjacent the door frame supports 39, and the operating lever 22 is made long enough to be engaged by the bracket bumper 33 only when the door 6 is swung open by a person passing out of the toilet room but not when he enters.

From the foregoing description it is seen that a novel flushing system has been devised in which the urinals are automatically flushed only after they have been used and without any direct mental consideration on the part of the user. A great deal of water is conserved since the urinals are only flushed after having been used.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic flushing system for a toilet room having an entrance door and a plumbing fixture therein, electrically operated means for flushing said plumbing fixture, an electric switch connected to said electrically operated means for controlling the same, an adjustable door stop for limiting the opening of said entrance door, said door stop arranged to close said electric switch when a person swings the entrance door open to go out of the toilet room, said door stop being ineffective to close said electric switch when a person swings the entrance door to enter the toilet room.

2. An automatic flushing system for a toilet room having an entrance door and a urinal in said toilet room, an electrically operated flush valve for flushing said urinal, an electric switch for operating said flush valve, said electric switch being supported in a position to be actuated by the opening of said entrance door, said door being swung open sufliciently far to actuate said electric switch when a person leaves the toilet room after having used the urinal, said door being swung open a lesser distance and inefiective to actuate said electric switch when a person enters the toilet room, a door check on said door to slowly close the same after having been opened, said door check presenting some resistance to a person swinging the door open, whereby a person entering the toilet room pushes against the door and opens it far enough for his body to pass through, whereas upon leaving the toilet room the door is forceably pulled open wider to permit the person to pass through before the door check can close the door.

3. The automatic flushing system as claimed in claim 2 in which the entrance door is provided with a push plate on the outside of the toilet room for a person to push against, and with a door knob on the inside for a person to pull the door open.

4. The automatic flushing system as claimed in claim 2 in which the electric switch is mounted on the hinged side of the door on the wall of the toilet room, and the door is provided with an adjustable door stop arranged to actuate the electric switch when the door is swung open as a person leaves the toilet room.

5. The automatic flushing system as claimed in claim 2 in which the door is swung open approximately 45 de- 3,371,353 5 6 grees when a person enters the toilet room, whereas the FOREIGN PATENTS door is swung open approximately 70 degrees when a 37,221 7/1930 France. P61'SOI1 leaves the toilet IOOITI. 773 91 9 /1 93 4 France 823,654 10/1937 France. References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 327,133 9/1885 Burrows 4-249 D, MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner. 1,875,983 9/1932 Bourdet 4-249 2,688,141 9/1954 Filliung 4-101 2,786,210 3/1957 Fraser 4-101 10 

